Doing the Right Thing

This sermon was preached by Rev'd Galal Bashir

When I was in Egypt, I used to work in the manufacture of floor tiles and slabs .  One day one of the customers came and bought 61 boxes of slabs- each box with 9 pieces.  He was a police officer.  We had a rule that you had to check your product before you left from the place.  After a few months, that man came back and asked to return one box of broken slabs back.  I called some of the workers to check it for me. 

I said to him, “I can't take it back because they are broken.”

He asked me, "Where is the manager?"

I replied to him, “I am the manager.”

He went to another person and asked him “Where is the manager?” and the person brought him back to me.  

Then he asked me, “Where is the owner?”

I replied, “This is my job, it isn't the owner’s job.”  I spoke to the customer and told him if he spoke to the owner, the owner wouldn't be able to take them back because that isn't his job to manage.

I told this man, who was a policeman, who had authority, to go – to leave and not come back.

Jesus did the same sort of thing in the temple.  That is what the Father sent Him to do.  He did what needed to be done and had the courage to do it.  

In the temple courtyard there were many foreigners, people who they came from different places.  There were Pharisees, high priests, the people of the law, Sadducees, people well educated, rich people, and poor people.  There were people selling animals for sacrifice, and changing Roman money into Temple money.  People had come to the Temple to celebrate Passover.

But Jesus cast them out and cleansed the temple because what they were doing had nothing to do with worshipping God or doing God’s work.   

In this story we see how Jesus went to the Temple and showed us all something important about how to live for God.  He did what he had to do. 

How you live?  Will you live well?  Will you worship God properly?  Will you be honest and true in everything that you do?

As Christians we are in Jesus and Jesus in us.  This for the non-believers not understood.  The Holy Spirit with all people whatever their denomination; culture; colour; rich or poor - even if they are not perfect enough to please God.

Faith in Christ is a principle of action.  To have faith in Christ, is to be willing to act on your belief in Him.  By the leading of the Holy Spirit that person is to committing himself to God.  Christians are called to be honest, they are also called to be courageous and to stand up for what is right.

As we obey the Heavenly Father, He blesses us.  He gives us strength and determination to meet life's challenges and helps us to change the desires of our hearts.  Through faith in Jesus Christ, you can be healed, both physically and spiritually.

Our Heavenly Father promises that when we repent and turn our life towards him, He will forgive us our sins and bless us.  Faith in Jesus Christ and repentance leads to baptism and confirmation in His Church.

The Ten Commandment of Exodus tell us the big things to do or not to do.  The commandments are the law given to people to relate to God and to worship and to obey God. 

But the commandments do not tell us how to act in the little things of everyday life.  To act well in the little things we need the wisdom.  Paul tells us in Corinthians that wisdom does not just belong to the scribe or the rich man.  We learn wisdom by following Christ in all things.  God is wiser than all, and God’s foolishness is still wiser than the wisest man on earth. 

Paul was telling the Jewish people that Christ Crucified is the message which must be accepted and lived.  He is telling us too, that God remains faithful and doesn't change.  Paul is telling us that we can have wisdom for every-day living through faith in Jesus.

We all know that to tell a lie is wrong.  We all know that we have to do what is right.  This understanding is with us so we can do the right thing in life.

I was a bit fearful when I refused to accept back the broken tiles from the policeman.  He was actually an officer – a Major.  This man had recognition in society; he had power and could make life difficult for me.  So I hoped I would not suffer because I stood up and did the right thing.  But this man went away and did nothing – he knew he was wrong.

Let us all pray for wisdom and for courage so that we do the right thing all the time.  This is what Jesus has taught us and what God expects from all of us all the time.